1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft and, in particular, to storage systems for aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for storing waste in an aircraft.
2. Background
In operating a passenger aircraft, airlines strive to improve the passenger experience. One way to improve the passenger experience is to provide food service, beverage service, or both on the aircraft. When food and beverage services are provided, aircraft are often equipped with a galley.
An aircraft galley is an area of the passenger cabin of the aircraft that is used to store, prepare, and dispose items for food and beverage service to passengers. A number of galleys may be located throughout the passenger cabin. One of these galleys is typically located in the aft section of the fuselage of the aircraft. When two or more galleys are present in the aircraft, a flight crew may use one galley to prepare food and beverage items for first class passengers, while another galley is used to prepare food and beverage items for other passengers.
The galley of the aircraft includes various types of equipment for the storage, preparation, and disposal of food and beverage items. For example, the galley of the aircraft may include beverage dispensers, service carts, waste storage compartments, trash compactors, food and beverage storage compartments, refrigeration units, and other suitable types of equipment.
Space on an aircraft is valuable. The amount of space in an aircraft varies depending on the size of the aircraft. As a result, incorporating the needed equipment to provide food and beverage service to passengers may be more difficult than desired in some aircraft.
In aircraft with small galleys, some equipment may be reduced in size or eliminated due to space constraints. For instance, larger passenger aircraft may have a galley equipped with ten food and beverage storage compartments and a trash compactor, while a smaller aircraft may have space for only two food and beverage storage compartments and a waste storage compartment. In other words, as the size of the aircraft becomes smaller, the capability to store, prepare, and dispose of food and beverage products is reduced. The reduction in this capability may be greater than the reduction in the number of passengers. Accordingly, providing services to passengers may be more difficult than desired.
Even in aircraft with larger galleys, galley equipment may not be configured in an efficient manner. For instance, in some cases, waste disposal compartments are located in the lower half of the galley, resulting in flight crew having to bend down to transfer items from the galley counter into the waste disposal compartment.
In other instances, these waste storage compartments may be smaller than desired. For example, as more and more passengers bring their own food and beverage items onto the aircraft, waste disposal compartments may not be able to hold as much waste as desired.
These waste storage compartments also may be inaccessible during various stages of operation. As a result, flight crew have to sort and transfer waste into the waste storage compartments between flights. Sorting and transferring waste between flights may increase the time spent at the gate more than preferred. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that take into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.